From “Poker Face” to “Bad Romance” and “Applause,” Lady Gaga has put out numerous hits over the past few years that reached the top of the charts. Her last album Artpop was released almost three years ago on Nov. 6, 2013. Now she’s back and ready to put down new music.
Gaga’s new album Joanne will officially be released on Oct. 21. Her latest single from the album, “Perfect Illusion” was released on Sept. 9; so far the song seems to be a hit. When asked what “Perfect Illusion” is about, Lady Gaga said in a video on her Twitter page, “Well, this song has a lot of meanings for me. I think the most obvious meaning when you first listen to it… was to create a song about how love is the most intoxicating and powerful drug in the world. It can make you feel so high that you don’t even realize that you’re in a relationship that’s not even real; it’s just a perfect illusion.”
“I didn’t really love it at first,” said senior Marketing student Cassie Stiansen, “but once I gave it a few listens it started to catch on. Now I really like the beat of it.”
Alexandra O’Connor, a senior and Education student, seemed hopeful about the upcoming album. “I’m not a big Lady Gaga fan. I think she’s a weird person but I don’t mind her music. Her new single wasn’t that bad so hopefully her new album will be just as good.”
According to Victoria Day, a recent graduate of the University, this is one of her favorite songs by Lady Gaga. “When I first heard the song I loved it and had no idea it was her song. Her voice sounds amazing and the song is so catchy. It does have the usual Gaga feel but I think this is a stand-out amongst her other singles she has released. The lyrics seemed to have matured from her past songs as well.”
Though I’m not a huge fan of this song myself, Day’s comment about Gaga’s matured lyrics may have truth to it. For example, her first big hit in 2008, “Just Dance,” was a catchy song designed to attract listeners. There was no lasting impression from the words behind the beat; it was merely a song designed for teeny-boppers that repeatedly said “just dance.” With “Perfect Illusion” Gaga sings about mistaking her feelings for someone as love but realized it wasn’t nearly as perfect as she thought it was.
The album cover of Joanne seems to show that Gaga has matured a little more as well. In comparison to previous album covers, such as Artpop, this cover is more simple. With Artpop there were abstract designs in the background and a naked Lady Gaga sitting down, holding her breasts in her hand and her legs spread with a circle to cover her private parts. On the cover of Joanne there’s a simple, solid blue background with Lady Gaga’s side profile as she is looks up while wearing a pink hat. The label above her head is a simple white text that reads, “Lady Gaga / Joanne.” She still appears to be naked, as she was in Artpop, but because the picture is of her shoulders and above we can’t tell for sure. Personally I like the more-matured versaion of Lady Gaga and this album cover seems to be much more normal than some of her others.
Looking at the song as a whole, this song does stand out from her others because her vocals hit different pitches, which one can appreciate because it shows that her vocals have range; however I’m not a fan of the way it sounds. Her voice at certain parts sounds as though her voice is shaky. The beat is catchy but the lyrics seem to repeat itself the entire time. For example, “It was a perfect illusion,” was repeated 12 times throughout the course of the two-minute and fifty-nine second song.
The music video will air for the first time on the premiere of the second season of FOX’s Scream Queens on September 20. Ryan Murphy, one of the directors of Scream Queens, is also one of the directors of American Horror Story, which Gaga starred in its last season, “Hotel,” and will be in the new season, “My Roanoke Nightmare.” Coincidence?
IMAGE TAKEN from rumberos.net
